𝙄𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙨, 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨

On The Rooftop, In The Rain [SHORT STORY]

"Ah, so is this where you go when I can never find you?" Yasmin asked her boyfriend.

Aiden didn't answer her as he carefully pulled himself through his older sister's window and onto the roof. He hated how his sister's window was perfect for climbing onto the roof but his room wasn't even on the second floor. When he was sure he wouldn't slip and fall to the earth, he turned around and reached his hand out to Yasmin.

"You sure this is safe?" She asked him skeptically.

"I wouldn't let you come if it wasn't," answered Aiden truthfully.

"But what if this time it isn't? What if I fall? What if you fall?"

"Shh, have a little trust in me."

Yasmin took hold of his hand and, with slightly shaky legs, stepped through Leah's window and onto the roof beside Aiden. She wondered how Leah would act if she found out her brother had been climbing through her window with her best friend's hand in his. She didn't know they were dating, which is why they had separate rooms in the house they all shared.

Aiden interlaced his fingers with Yasmin's and moved carefully into a sitting position, a little to the left of his sister's window. Yasmin copied his actions as best as she could in the fading daylight and sat down next to the boy with dark brown hair as her own blonde locks were swept behind her in the soft breeze.

"The wind smells like rain," Aiden said thoughtfully. "We should have brought an umbrella or some raincoats."

He was quite right, about the sent of the air and the lack of equipment, for not even ten seconds later, the heavens began to drizzle down on the pair. The rain wasn't cold, in fact, it was quite warm for it being the middle of fall. The two of them didn't move and let themselves slowly become soaked.

Aiden planted a kiss on Yasmin's cheek and wrapped an arm around her shoulders before looked back out at the setting sun as it continued to dip down beyond the horizon, leaving a yellow aura in the sky as the moon climbed upwards behind them. It wasn't the kind of sunset where the sun's oranges and reds would blind you, leaving spots in your vision when you finally looked away. It was made of more yellows and pinks that faded beautifully into the black sky and it had a softer, more relaxed feel to it. It was a special kind of sunset. It wasn't one of the ones you would find in stock images, with the palm trees on the beach and the dolphins in the water. It was the kind of sunset you could only dream about.

Yasmin rested her head on Aiden's shoulder as the couple sat on the rooftop in the rain, watching the sweet sunset. They stayed there long after the remaining color had drained from the nighttime sky and even longer still as stars shone down from space. The rain continued to pour surprising warmth onto the pair as time continued to escape reality's hold.

"This reminds me of that time on the cliff at the beach," Yasmin eventually spoke, just loud enough for Aiden to hear her over the rain, as a smile as soft as her voice found its way onto her face.

"Yeah, when Leah and Maria wanted to take photos for their brand and they dragged us and Jordan with them?"

"You say dragged like it was a bad thing—

"It was a bad thing!" Aiden defended himself, grinning. He continued, "Until we got there, at least. That sunset was really incredible and there were so many stars after."

"We have to go back," Yasmin spoke, half trapped in the memory.

"When we get to visit, we will go on a date there. But I was going to say that this reminds me of the time I asked you to watch the old team's practice and it started to rain."

"Oh yeah!" Yasmin agreed with the same smile as before. "You told me that practice would be long since Josh was obsessed with beating the Knights and you wanted me to stay," she recalled.

"But it started to rain and eventually Josh decided that team wasn't focused enough. We all just ended up playing that strange version of dodgeball. Remember that song that Michael insisted on playing on repeat?" Aiden asked, turning to look at Yasmin.

"I remember how it went, not the name," Yasmin answered, looking back at Aiden. "What was it called?"

"I'm not sure, that's why I asked you."

"I wish I knew," Yasmin said as she stared at Aiden's incredibly gray eyes in the slight light leaking from Leah's bedroom window.

"Remember Josh complaining about how 'this song makes Michael Davin, the quarterback of St. Gregory's, sound like a massive softie'?" Aiden asked, pulling off a really bad Josh impression.

"Yeah," Yasmin said with a soft laugh. "I miss Josh and Michael, and Maria and Jordan too."

"Me too."

The couple continued to talk about other memories of the times back home with their friends who they missed so much, sharing kisses every so often. Eventually, when the rain began to slowly stop and the moon was shining directly above them, they decided to go inside.

The pair stood up on the roof and looked at each other. They were both drenched with Aiden's hair falling into his face and Yasmin's blonde hair turned brown. Her soft green eyes met his crazily gray ones and they leaned in, sharing one last kiss on the rooftop, in the rain.

17/03/2021